Dear Lady Gaga: We get it, you're 'edgy'

Susannah Breslin is a blogger and writer. She covers all things culture, from celebrities and Hollywood to movies and style. She's written for Harper's Bazaar, Details, Salon, Slate, Esquire.com, and The Frisky.com.

Jesus, Judas and dancing

In the video, Gaga plays a woman torn between two men: Jesus and Judas. The video depicts Jesus as a motorcycle gang member wearing a crown of thorns, with Lady Gaga as Mary Magdalene.

Crucifixes and religious reenactments abound. In one scene, Gaga washes Jesus' feet. In another, she prepares to shoot Judas -- played by Norman Reedus -- in the face... with lipstick. You'll also find typical Gaga fare: Dance sequences and kooky outfits.

"In the most Biblical sense/I am beyond repentance," Gaga sings. "Fame hooker, prostitute wench, vomits her mind/But in the cultural sense/I just speak in future tense." Gaga can vomit her mind all she wants, but some non-fans are deeming her saucy lyrics and sexed-up religious themes "evil."

The backlash

The majority of YouTubers praised the video ("OMG! Amazing!"), while more conservative crowds have been less than pleased. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said:

"She is trying to rip off Christian idolatry to shore up her talentless, mundane and boring performances. Another ex-Catholic whose head is turned around... Is this the only way to jet up her performance?"

Indeed, it raises the question of where one draws the line between "edgy" and "inappropriate."

Laurieann Gibson, creative director of Judas, said it was not intended to offend: "The inspiration and the soul and idea that out of your oppression, your darkness, your Judas, you can come into the marvelous light. So it's about the inspiration and to never give up... We've created a new Jerusalem."

An "uncut" version of Judas is slated to air tonight on E! News. Will Gaga get the shocked response she's aiming for? Unfortunately for the Fame Monster, much of this ground was covered by Madonna years ago, and Gaga has been criticized for stealing her schtick from the Material Girl already.